Jonathan Wilde the difference between a real free market in education, and a business merely managing government schools on behalf of the government.

Conclusion:

Edison Schools has nothing whatsoever to do with the free market.

It's a point I often make, but I think "nothing whatsoever" is putting it a bit too strongly. Only a bit mind.

The basic point is sound, and one I make here regularly. But by running education as a business, even if governments are the only customers of it so far, Edison at least helps to establish the principle that regular education for regular people can indeed be a business. And by supplying an alternative to what I believe they call over there The Blob, Edison may at least help to break the power of that grim entity.

But I guess Jonathan's reply would be that Edison will soon become just another bit of The Blob.